With promotion, Army welcomes first openly gay general

During a promotion ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, a proud wife placed a star insignia on her spouse's uniformed shoulder -- the official mark of an Army brigadier general.

With that simple gesture, Brig. Gen. Tammy Smith became the country's first openly gay general.

The promotion of Smith, the highest-ranking gay or lesbian to acknowledge their sexual orientation while serving, comes less than a year after the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," the policy that did not allow gay or lesbians to serve openly in the military.

Since the reversal last September, the relationship between the government and the armed forces has shifted to include more outreach to gay and lesbian service members.

In June, the Pentagon hosted a Gay Pride Month event. And in July, members of the military wore their uniforms during a San Diego gay pride parade, the first time the Defense Department had allowed such a practice.

Friday, more than 70 people clustered inside an auditorium at Arlington's Women in Military Service for America Memorial.

Smith, then a colonel, strode in with her commanding officer on the stroke of 4 p.m. The audience sang the national anthem and a young boy led the Pledge of Allegiance.

"This part is a little fuzzy for me, because I have to confess, I got choked up," said Sue Fulton, an Army veteran and friend of the couple who attended the event. "People have been working toward this moment for decades."